Classic On Yin Convergence

觀天之道 執天之⾏行行 盡矣

Observe the way of Heaven, practice the action of Heaven. That is all.

天有五賊 ⾒見見之者昌

Nature has five robbers; those who see them thrive.

五賊在⼼心 施⾏行行於天

The five robbers are in the mind; they carry on their activities in heaven.

宇宙在乎⼿手 萬化⽣生乎身

The universe is in the hand; myriad transformations take place in the

body.

天性⼈人也 ⼈人性機也

The celestial nature is humanity; the human mind is mechanical.

⽴立天之道 以定⼈人也

Setting up the celestial way is to stabilize humanity.

天發殺機 ⿓龍蛇起陸 地發殺機 星⾠辰辰隕伏 ⼈人發殺機 天地反覆

When heaven radiates killing potential, it moves the stars and shifts the
constellations. When earth radiates killing potential, serpents cause
trouble. When humans radiate killing potential, heaven and earth
overturn.

天⼈人合發 萬化定基

When heaven and humanity act in concert, myriad developments have

their basis stabilized.
性有巧拙 可以伏藏

There are clever and dull natures, which can be subdued and put away.

九竅之邪 在乎三要 可以動靜

The aberrations of the nine openings are in the three essentials, which
can be active or still.

⽕火⽣生於⽊木 禍發必剋 姦⽣生於國 時動必潰 知之修錬謂之聖⼈人

When fire arises in wood, disaster takes place with ineluctable force.
When treachery arises in a country, the time is disturbed with
ineluctable destructiveness. Those who know this and practice
refinement are those known as sages.

天⽣生天殺 道之理理也

Heaven gives life, heaven kills: this is the principle of the Tao.

天地萬物之盜 萬物⼈人之盜 ⼈人萬物之盜 三盜既宜 三才既安

Heaven and earth rob myriad things, myriad things rob people, people
rob myriad things. When the three robbers are as they should be,
heaven, earth, and humanity are at peace.

故⽈曰 ｢⻝⾷食其時 百骸理理 動其機 萬化安｣

Therefore it is said, eat at the right time and the body will be in order;
act at the right moment and all events will be peaceful.

⼈人知其神之神 不不知不不神之所以神

People know the spirit as psychological, they do not know why the
nonpsychological is spiritual.

⽇日⽉月有數數 ⼤大⼩小有定 聖功⽣生焉 神明出焉

Sun and moon have measurements, great and small have definition.
The work of sages is born therefrom, spiritual illumination emerges
therefrom.

其盜機也 天下莫能⾒見見 莫能知 君⼦子得之固躬 ⼩小⼈人得之輕命

When you take over the mechanism, no one in the world can see you,
no one can know you. When developed people get this, they are
steadfast in poverty; when undeveloped people get this, they take life
lightly.

瞽者善聽 聾者善視 絶利利⼀一源 ⽤用師⼗十倍 三反晝夜 ⽤用師萬倍

The blind can hear well, the deaf can see well. Cut off one wellspring,
that of profiteering, and it is ten times better than mobilizing the army.
Introspect three times day and night, and it is ten thousand times better
than mobilizing the army.

⼼心⽣生於物 死於物 機在⽬目

The mind is given birth to by things, the mind is killed by things; the
mechanism is in the eyes.

天之無思 ⽽而⼤大思⽣生 迅雷雷烈烈⾵風莫 不不蠢然

Heaven has no kindness, but great kindness arises from it. With swift
thunder and strong wind, all beings become active.

⾄至樂樂樂樂性餘 ⾄至靜則廉

The nature of ultimate happiness is to be unrestricted; the nature of

ultimate peace is to be pure.

天之⾄至私 ⽤用之⾄至公

Heaven is ultimately private, but its function is ultimately public.

禽之制在氣

Control and creation are in energy.

⽣生者死之根 死者⽣生之根 恩⽣生於害 害⽣生於恩

Birth is the root of death, death is the root of birth. Benefit comes from
harm, harm comes from benefit.

萬⼈人以天地丈理理聖 我以時物丈理理智

Ignorant people consider the designs and patterns of heaven and earth
holy. I consider the designs and patterns of times and beings wise.

⼈人以虞愚 我以不不愚聖

People assume sages are ignorant. I assume sages are not ignorant.

⼈人以期其聖 我以不不期其聖

People expect wonders of sages. I expect sages not to be weird.

沈沈⽔水⼊入⽕火 ⾃自取滅亡

Sinking into water, going into fire, bring destruction on oneself.

⾃自然之道靜 故天地萬物⽣生

The natural Tao, is calm, so heaven, earth, and myriad beings are born.

天地之道浸 故陰陽勝 陰陽相推 ⽽而變化順矣

The Tao of heaven and earth is penetrating, so yin and yang prevail. Yin
and yang push each other onward, and myriad changes go along.

是故聖⼈人知⾃自然之道不不可違 因⽽而制之

Sages know the natural Tao cannot be violated; they follow it to master
it.

⾄至靜之道 律律曆曆所不不能契 爰有奇器器

The Tao of supreme tranquillity cannot be aligned with the calendar, so

they have an extraordinary vessel.
是⽣生萬象 ⼋八卦甲⼦子 神機⻤鬼藏

This gives birth to myriad forms, the eight trigrams, the numerical
cycles, the workings of spirits, the secrets of ghosts.

陰陽相勝之術 昭昭乎盡乎象矣

The art of mutual supercession of yin and yang clearly progresses

beyond forms.